Melody Beaubien Johnson, 1942-1972
Larry Statham: After I met the girl with the intriguing name in 7th grade at Matthewson and we began to see each other regularly, we would dance weekly at TARP (Teen Age Recreation 
Program). I think her mother or aunt drove us there in a 50’s Chevrolet. We were stacked on top of one another to fit in that car. There were 4 or 5 of us every time. Melody loved to dance and she taught me my first dance steps. It was a treat for her to get away for an evening, away from her daily chores of washing, ironing and cooking meals for her little brothers at home in middle school.
Melody enjoyed music, French, and poetry. She was industrious, tender and alluring all at once. After my parents moved from our house near WU, I went to school at Robinson and we drifted apart. At East High I didn’t even have class with her but I will never forget that petite woman who won my heart as the new kid from a small town in Ok
lahoma. Rest In Peace, Melody.
Barb Hammond: I always liked Melody. I mostly remember her in Modern Dance classes. She was a member of Civil Air Patrol, and they were going to take glider lessons. I thought that was so cool. When I told my dad I wanted to do that too, he gave it a hard “No!” I hadn’t really thought it through and now the idea scares the heck out of me. Melody was brave!
Obituary
Melody Lynne Beaubien Johnson died from cancer February 17, 1972, at age 28 in Santa Barbara, CA. She was born November 14, 1942, in Oklahoma City and later graduated from Wichita East High School and Kansas State University, where she was a member of the Women’s Kickball team and later K-State’s Judo Club. She worked as a secretary in Fairfax County, Virginia, where she married Richard Johnson in 1965. He survives. Her family says that she “Lived well. Laughed often. Loved much.”
Editor’s Note: Thanks to Barb Hammond, Larry Statham, and Calvin Ross for gathering obituary information. In the photo above, petite Black Belt Melanie is demonstrating a Judo move that is about to flip her sparring partner onto the floor.
The above article was originally published on this website in the fall of 2020. You can add your memories of Melody in the Comments box below.
The mention of Melody’s name bring back memories of a delightful sprite of a girl. I remember feeling so sad that she died so young. Many cheerful friends have moved from our address books to a place in our hearts! She was one of the early ones!